Watch the Opening Face-Off Brawl Between the Lightning and the Islanders

Things got interesting early on between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning Monday afternoon.

Monday afternoon’s matinee tilt between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders got off to a rousing start, as the two teams engaged in some heavyweight fisticuffs off the opening puck drop.

In a somewhat rare occurrence, both head coaches sent out their “brusier” lines to start the game, and the ensuing fights made Guy Boucher and Jack Capuanos’ intentions quite obvious.

New York’s Matt Martin and Tampa Bay’s B.J. Crombeen immediately dropped their mitts after the puck drop; the Islanders’ Joe Finley and the Lightning’s Pierre-Cedric Labrie participated in their own battle soon thereafter.

In total, there were four fighting majors and two misconducts called—all just ONE second into the game—for a total of 24 penalty minutes.

About The Author

Andrew Hirsh is a graduate of Elon University and is entering his fourth year as a credentialed NHL writer. He founded SunbeltHockey.com in 2012 and serves as the site's managing editor. Andrew can be reached via email at ahirsh3@gmail.com.